Put the word "custom" in front of "furniture" and you'll instantly see dollar signs. But if you've got a couple of hours and an electric drill, "Home Made Simple" carpenter David Leon says you can make this industrial-chic desk and shelf combo for just the cost of materials found at your local hardware store. The best part? The entire project can be completed in a single afternoon.
To make this project as simple as possible, carpenter David Leon suggests purchasing pre-stained oak boards. Take the size of your room into consideration and ask the hardware store to cut the boards to your preferred size, leaving one board longer to use as a desk. You'll also need a dozen shelf brackets and an adjustable table leg,
The key to this easy project is the shelf brackets. Shelf brackets are normally drilled into a wall, but for his desk and shelf combo, Leon mounts the brackets directly onto the shelves.
"All you do is you mount the shelving brackets onto the first board," he says, demonstrating in the above video. "You put the second board on top, and then you mount the shelving brackets into the second board." To secure the shelves together, Leon uses turn screws and and an Allen key.
The shelving unit can easily double as a desk by using an extra-long plank of wood with an adjustable table leg attached to the end.
Keep building the shelves up until you're happy with the height. In this case, Leon used seven boards. Finish by securing the shelves to the wall with cleats.
"A couple boards, a couple brackets and we did it -– a custom bookshelf," Leon says.
More DIY inspiration: How to turn old tree stumps into spectacular seating for your kid's room.
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